Pedestrian, good Samaritan killed on I-57

Map of location where two men were fatally struck, one a Good Samaritan on I-57. (Google Maps)

A man trying to fix his tire was struck and killed on Interstate 57, along with an 80-year-old good Samaritan from Bartlett who had come to his aid, state police say.

The accident happened around 5:40 p.m. Wednesday as Jimmy Lee Westbrook, 58, of Tennessee, was headed north near the town of Onarga, about 30 miles from Kankakee, state police said. He pulled onto the shoulder after his car lost a tire and rim on the driver's side.

The tire rolled toward the center median and Westbrook was crossing the expressway to retrieve it when he was struck by a Monte Carlo driven by a Summit man, police said.

Jack S. Douglas stopped to help Westbrook as he lay in traffic, state police said. Douglas and a passenger in Westbrook's car dragged Westbrook out of the road, police said. Then Douglas went back to his car to call for help from his cell phone, state police said.

While crossing the road he was struck by a Camry driven by a Champaign man, police said.

Douglas was taken to Carle Hospital in Champaign, where he was pronounced dead at 11:01 p.m., police said. Westbrook was pronounced dead at the scene.

The crashes are under investigation but no citations have been issued.

The northbound lanes of I-57 was closed for about three hours and traffic was redirected.